Seven Disciples Slay Their Master

After all, the more fighters they had who were close to an S-rank Valkyrie in strength and capable of eliminating Honkai, the better.

"Senior Sister, you're the only one among us who's reached the Tai Xu Realm. If even you can't find a way, what ideas could I possibly have?"

Ma Fei Ma sighed helplessly.

"Then do you have any news about the Red Sparrow Immortal? You've been wandering outside all year, so you should know more about immortals, right? If not, I'll go look for the immortal."

Since Master had said the immortal had ascended, there shouldn't have been any news of her left in this world. But no news was, in a sense, news as well.

Kaino planned to return the favor directly. And unlike his own master, if she didn't know the immortal's whereabouts either, he would just take a stroll around Mount Tai Xu and return to the Orphanage.

Rather than search unfamiliar lands for someone he had never met, did not know, and whom all of Shenzhou believed had ascended, helping the Priest repair the God Key seemed far more reliable.

Besides, perhaps the Priest could even resolve the hidden danger of the Sword Heart Sutra?

But the moment the words left his mouth, Kaino watched Ma Fei Ma's expression change.

First came instinctive delight upon hearing his words, followed by hesitation and distress, before it finally turned into resolve.

What was going on?

"Sixth Brother, you have news of the immortal?"

Cheng Lingshuang had clearly noticed as well, and her brows furrowed.

"Yes. I saw Master with my own eyes. I couldn't possibly mistake her. That's why I came to find you, Senior Sister."

Cheng Lingshuang's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

Kaino raised his brows, pleasantly surprised.

He had found that immortal who had vanished for decades already? This was going way too smoothly, wasn't it?!

But...

Kaino studied Ma Fei Ma and Cheng Lingshuang.

He could understand why Ma Fei Ma had come to find the reclusive Cheng Lingshuang when their master, who had supposedly ascended, suddenly returned.

But why had Ma Fei Ma put on such an elaborate display? And why did his master's expression look so strange?

Still, Li Sushang was quite happy to hear that the immortal Chi Yuan had returned. After all, she could be considered Li Sushang's idol.

"Great-Grandmaster is back? Master, Master, can I go see her?"

For once, Cheng Lingshuang ignored Li Sushang and asked solemnly, "Where did you see Master? How long ago was this?"

"Don't worry about those two. Just say it. They'll find out sooner or later."

"Yi Xin Mountain Villa. I was passing by and wanted to visit Seventh Junior Sister while I was there, but I discovered that Yi Jian Mountain Villa had been completely engulfed in flames. I asked around nearby, and based on their descriptions, Master really did appear there."

After glancing at Li Sushang's deathly pale face, Ma Fei Ma continued.

"After the fire died down, I snuck inside. It was full of corpses. I couldn't tell which one was Su Yi... As for when, it was a month ago."

Li Sushang rose in panic, shoved open the door, and rushed out.

Kaino hurried after her.

The Seven Disciples Slay Their Master

"How is Sushang doing?"

When Kaino pushed open the door and entered, Cheng Lingshuang asked softly.

"She's lying in her room right now. She was too emotionally unstable to listen to anything, so I knocked her out."

Kaino sighed softly, looking at Cheng Lingshuang and Ma Fei Ma with complicated eyes.

No Kaslana was truly foolish, especially not after he had studied under the Priest for so long. From what had just happened, Kaino had roughly figured out what was going on.

The Seven Disciples had slain their master and claimed that the immortal had ascended. Yet for some reason, the immortal had not died. After awakening, she had taken revenge on Li Sushang's mother first.

An entire mountain villa had died because of it. Kaino's feelings were deeply complicated.

His master, whom he had acknowledged only a few days ago, had participated in killing her own master but failed to finish the job. The immortal who had returned from death had then killed his friend's mother, and countless innocent people had died as a result.

What kind of mess was this...

"Can you tell me? Master... I'll still call you Master for now, so can you tell me what exactly happened?"

Kaino looked at Cheng Lingshuang and asked hesitantly.

"I told you before that Master often traveled outside. We hardly had any opportunities to interact."

"So?"

"I also told you that the rule of the Tai Xu Lineage was that anyone who fell to madness must be executed. That rule was handed down by Master herself."

"And then?"

"Fourth Senior Sister fell to madness."

Ma Fei Ma took over at that point.

His voice was low, his tone mournful.

"Patterns appeared on Fourth Senior Sister's face, identical to those on people who had fallen to madness... But Fourth Senior Sister absolutely hadn't lost control. We didn't want to kill her."

"So the moment you met me, you tried to kill me using 'those who fall to madness must be executed' as an excuse? And you said it so righteously?"

Kaino tapped the table.

"We couldn't bring ourselves to kill Fourth Senior Sister. No matter what, she was our Fourth Senior Sister, the one we had lived with day and night for over ten years."

Ma Fei Ma did not directly answer Kaino's question.

Kaino narrowed his eyes but did not get angry.

"And then? The immortal returned and wanted to kill her, so you killed the master who had also lived alongside you for more than ten years?"

"...We ambushed Master beforehand and killed her the moment she returned."

Because they did not want to kill their sister disciple who had fallen to madness, they had instead taken the initiative to kill the master who had raised them?

You people were seriously fucking absurd!

"Sixth Brother, at this point, do you still want to hide it?"

Cheng Lingshuang glanced at Ma Fei Ma before looking at Kaino.

"Fourth Senior Sister falling to madness was only the trigger. There were other reasons why we ultimately chose to slay our master."

"Please tell me."

"Su Mei bore a grudge against Master. Master had personally killed her parents. And at the time, Su Mei was the one who organized that operation."

Kaino leaned back slightly and covered his face with both hands.

Forget the lot of you, that immortal was absurd too. She had personally killed someone's parents, then accepted that person as her disciple even though she knew the person knew about it. Did she have some kind of mental illness?

Even that bastard Otto from Schicksal might not have been capable of something like this!

"Third Senior Sister and Fourth Senior Sister were biological siblings. Whether for self-preservation or sisterly affection, they had no reason not to make a desperate attempt. Under Su Mei's persuasion, the two quickly agreed."

Kaino nodded when he heard that. He could understand that a little, since he also had a biological younger sister. And beyond that, he had a little sister in name as well, who was theoretically the pinnacle of someone falling to madness.

But only a little. If it had been himself or Kiana who fell to madness, and Schicksal had sent someone to kill them, neither of them would surrender without a fight. But they would never strike with lethal force either. They would run away together... perhaps with Ziegfried added in.

Especially since the person who had come also had the grace of raising him, and he could not even be sure that person had come to kill him.

Still, without that Su Mei's persuasion, perhaps the two would have chosen to flee together instead? He did not know.

"Sixth Brother... Heh, what else could it have been? Nothing more than guilt, coupled with blindly obeying Su Mei."

Kaino looked at Ma Fei Ma. He had lowered his head, and his face looked somewhat unpleasant.

"Guilt?"

Kaino asked Cheng Lingshuang.

"Those who practice the Tai Xu Sword Qi are all exceptionally talented, and the Sword Heart Sutra makes one less prone to falling to madness. Under such circumstances, why do you think Fourth Senior Sister fell to madness?"

As she spoke, Cheng Lingshuang glanced at Ma Fei Ma again.

"Because of him?"

"Yes."

Kaino drew a deep breath. His emotions were complicated, but he could not say a word.

"Master, let me ask first. You said he blindly obeyed that Su Mei... Was Su Mei the one he married?"

"If that were true, he'd probably laugh in his dreams. In the end, he married Eldest Senior Sister, even though they were nearly twenty years apart."

Why did that sound like there was quite a story behind it?

"As for Seventh Junior Sister, Sushang's mother... she never intended to slay Master. She participated in the operation entirely because Su Mei coerced her into it. I vaguely remember that on the day of the operation, she even wanted to warn Master."

...So the only person who had died so far, Li Sushang's mother, was the most innocent-sounding one?

Kaino frowned and thought for a moment before continuing to ask.

"What about you, Master, and that Eldest Senior Sister?"

"I do not know what Eldest Senior Sister was thinking. I only know that she also participated after Su Mei persuaded her."

"As for me, it had to do with the Sword Heart."

"The Sword Heart Sutra?"

Kaino did not understand.

"Yes, the Sword Heart Sutra."

Cheng Lingshuang nodded and explained, "The Sword Heart Sutra has four realms. The fourth, the Tai Xu Realm, not only allows its practitioner to control True Qi as easily as moving one's limbs, but also brings a minor side effect—something I only discovered after killing Master, when my obsession changed."

"Those who enter the Tai Xu Realm develop an unusual obsession with whatever they were thinking about when they entered the realm. The reason Master was so obsessed with executing anyone who fell to madness was likely because it became her obsession."

"And my previous obsession was defeating Master."

At this point, Cheng Lingshuang closed her eyes.

"Of course, it was a fact that I was weaker than Master. Under normal circumstances, although my obsession was strong, I would not have developed the intention of slaying her. However, with Fourth Senior Sister falling to madness and Su Mei's persuasion, I eventually gave rise to evil intentions."

"That was why, afterward, I challenged the world's experts before coming here to Mobei and living in seclusion."

"Then why didn't you stop Li Sushang from continuing to cultivate? She's already reached the Clear Mirror stage."

Kaino was a little dumbfounded.

"Such obsessions are something cultivators already possess. The Tai Xu Realm merely strengthens them, and for a small number of people, it may even be beneficial. The reason I call it a side effect is only because without it, the act of slaying Master would never have happened."

"Fine. She's your disciple, anyway."

Kaino rubbed his temples.

So, simply put, the Red Sparrow Immortal had truly been bold enough to accept someone with a blood feud as her disciple. And among her seven disciples, quite a few were each absurd in their own way. That Su Mei was also genuinely persuasive.

With a sigh, Kaino placed his hand on Ma Fei Ma's body and circulated Life Force.

"You...?"

Ma Fei Ma froze and looked at Kaino in confusion.

He had thought Kaino would no longer help him after learning the truth.

"You don't have to do this."

Seeing this, Cheng Lingshuang spoke as well.

"I have long been prepared to be killed by Master. Or rather, all seven of us should die at Master's hands."

But the others did not seem to think so.

Kaino glanced at Ma Fei Ma beside him and spoke.

"Forget everything else. He told me the immortal's whereabouts, and I treat his injuries. That was decided long ago. A Kaslana does not abandon a promise lightly."

"Besides, although Li Sushang recited the Sword Heart Sutra to me, Master, you still haven't taught me the other forms. But in the end, you have still bestowed knowledge upon me. If I watched you die, I wouldn't be much different from who you were back then."

"So at least for you, I guarantee that the immortal will not kill you."

Kaino said.